Mijas Car Hire

Car hire is advisable if you're holidaying in Mijas, especially if your accommodation is in the pueblo area which is about 15 minutes drive from the coast. With a car you'll be able to explore the ancient "white villages" around Ronda and take day trips around the extraordinarily beautiful Andalucian hinterland. There are some fascinating cities within easy driving distance Seville, Cadiz, Cordoba, Jerez and Granada.

Seville, a couple of hours drive to the north west of Mijas, is the capital of Andalucia the home of flamenco and a city rich in history and culture. Tour the bodegas and try the different sherries of Jerez where you can also witness magnificent displays of horsemanship at the Royal Equestrian School of Andalucia. Granada, an hour and a half's drive to the north east of the resort, is a vibrant city at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain home to the truly awe inspiring and world famous Alhambra Palace.

Gibraltar is only an hour and a half's drive south west along the coast but be prepared for long delays at the border control point where the Spanish authorities operate a frustrating "go slow" policy in protest over Britain's supremacy of the hotly disputed rock. You could even take a day trip to Africa if you drive to the southernmost tip of Spain and get on a ferry from Algeciras to Tangier. Brace yourself for a lot of noise, unfamiliar smells and a great deal of pestering by the "salesmen" of the Kasbah.

These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself before choosing your car hire company:

If you've booked the car to be waiting for you on arrival you'll want to know if the company have a dedicated desk inside the airport where you can collect your keys and sort out the necessary paperwork and any problems. There's nothing worse than arriving in the middle of the night to find no car.and no one to complain to!

Does the company give a commitment on the quality of its cars are they, for example, all under a certain age?

Will you have to pay the local IVA tax (Spanish VAT) of 16% or is it included in the price?

Does the company offer "no quibble" insurance to cover such things as collision damage and theft? Is unlimited third party insurance and basic personal accident damage for the driver and occupants included?

Will you have to pay an "excess" charge in the event of an accident?

There have been instances of "motorway pirates" targeting foreigners in hired cars on the Costa del Sol so keep all your valuables with you when you stop at a service station and never leave the keys in the ignition. The favourite trick is to try and flag you down on the hard shoulder on the basis that something's wrong with your car. Ignore anyone who tries to do this and check your car at the next service area if you think there's a problem.